Blood And Gold (Mara Menzies)

“I come from two different worlds”, says Mara Menzies, laying down the groundwork for this immersive solo play on colonialism. Scottish Kenyan Menzies is a thrilling performer to watch and an even better writer. Here she uses stories from her family, as well as exploring themes of the transatlantic slave trade and racially motivated attacks. Menzies turns these into a commanding narrative that audiences will no doubt be discussing extensively after the show. While her storytelling feels somewhat reticent to begin with, the intrigue compounds as the story develops, and she uses crowd interactions effectively to involve viewers. ‘Blood and Gold’ demonstrates that you don’t need an elaborate stage design to paint an evocative sentiment: her minimalist tribal layout effectively complements this tale.